It is the season for considering how to express appreciation to our customers and clients who have shown their support and loyalty to our businesses over the previous year. It brings to mind memories of years past.

For Susan Beebe, President of Lighthouse Marketing and member of Women TIES it has been the traditionof her agency to remember her clients at Thanksgiving time, just before the more traditional giving season. It always seemed more appropriate to give thanks to her clients at Thanksgiving and somehow beat the rush of other packages that are sure to arrive within a few short weeks. Today’s blog post is advice from Susan regarding thanking clients in memorable ways during the holiday season.

Susan Beebe:

Some years, it may have been as simple as a greeting card with a personal note written to each client; more memorable years included ordering cookie trays from a local bakery and delivering the cookies to each client with warm wishes, personal conversation and a sincere thank-you for their business.

Recently I spoke to several other business owners to obtain their intentions for showing appreciation to their customers this holiday season. The ideas were quite diverse.

One is sending customized gift baskets, catered to the client’s personal preferences; if the customer is a coffee connoisseur, the basket was full of the latest and greatest for enjoying a cup of morning joe. Another local business owner pointed out the importance of remembering all of your customers, not just those that invested the highest dollar amount in that particular year. This individual believes in making a personal phone call to thank her customers and follows up with a personal note that reflects on the conversation; surely this contact will be remembered throughout the upcoming year. Of course, depending on the type and size of your business, the personal phone call may not be realistic. You may have to consider some of the other amazing ideas I learned during my research, such as giving tickets to local holiday theater performances, the downtown holiday tree lighting celebration, or even a good old-fashioned bottle of cheer.

The ideas that I found to have the most impact are based more on being of service vs. offering a service. Central New York has numerous charitable organizations whose needs have increased substantially during the recent difficult economic times. I understand that several local businesses practice an “adopt a program” where they donate a needed item, such as turkeys or pies, in the name of their client company. What a great way to pay tribute to your customer relationships while benefiting the larger community at the same time.

Regardless of how you show appreciation to your customers and clients this holiday season, one thing is certain, ’tis the season for being of service vs. offering our services.